Pigeons in the city

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Throughout the years, people interacting with pigeons in the city has been interesting subject matter for photographers. Years ago, the birds were more popular and were readily fed to great amusement of many. People tend to stay away now. Here’s an homage to the bird that was once used to move information for some of the first news agencies. — Leanne Burden Seidel and Lisa Tuite

Boston Globe Archive

Sept. 9, 1929: A solitary man fed the pigeons on a gray and rainy September day on Boston Common. Note the painstaking artistic touch-up of the birds on the print. This was commonly done to photos for better reproduction in the paper.

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Nov. 21, 1934: The benches on the Boston Common were crowded as people enjoyed the warm November sunshine. At midday the temperature was a balmy 52 degrees in Boston. No one appeared eager to feed the lone pigeon. An uncommon sight as well.

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Privates William Jones (left) and John Campbell stopped to feed the pigeons on Boston Common on a cold February day. The Boston Park Department planted winter rye in the Victory Garden plot on the Common, opposite the State House. The pigeons liked the larger rye kernels according to the Boston Common groundskeepers.

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Jan. 18, 1948: After the sixth storm of the winter season swept through Boston, the whir of pigeons' wings broke the silence on Boston Common. This little miss was frightened by the hungry birds crowding her father for the food he had brought to feed them.

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Nov. 10, 1971: The Chisholm children, new residents of Beacon Hill, had fed 10 bags of corn and birdseed to the Boston Common pigeons over the previous five days. It was no surprise they got a warm welcome.

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May 11, 1977: Harry Morgan and Larry Weisel, both 12, watched in amazement as a pigeon sat on top of Lisa Paulin's head while she fed other birds at Boston's Public Garden. Kathy Newman enjoyed the show behind her.